MAC April 2013 Magazine

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine

                                          



Above: A sky chart showing the centre of the Lyrid meteor shower.

Look for the star Vega as a guide.

  Above: Cancer is one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin   for crab and it is commonly represented as such. Cancer is small and its stars are faint. It lies between Gemini to the west and Leo to the east, Lynx to the  north and Canis Minor and Hydra to the south.                  Above: The M51 galaxy and its  companion (NGC 5195) are easily  observed by amateur astronomers, Above: The Beehive Cluster is an  and the two galaxies may even be open cluster in the constellation  seen with binoculars.

Cancer and is one of the nearest  open clusters to the Solar System.                                                                         





www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 12

      

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine

  









www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 2











 

                                 

                        



























































































































































 

   



   



    



   



     



    



   



      



   



   



     



   



      



   

        



   

      





                  

 



       

                            

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine

www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 11

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine

 

  



         



                                                                                                                            

                            

www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 10

                                                                        

                                                                                                                

  

   

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine

                                                        

                                   

         

                                             

      

       

     

Above: This set of images compares rocks seen by NASA's Opportunity rover and Curiosity rover at two different parts of Mars. On the left is " Wopmay"rock in Endurance Crater, Meridiani Planum, as studied by the Opportunity rover. On the right are the rocks of the S" heepbed"unit in Yellowknife Bay in Gale Crater, as seen by Curiosity.                                   

Above: Curiosity's drill in action at Yellowknife Bay on the red planet.

 

www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 3

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine

   

     

                                                                                                                                  

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine      

Below: Overlay of the new GRG (blue -white colours) on an optical image from the Digitized Sky survey. The inset shows the central galaxy triplet.

The image is about 2 Mpc across.



   

Page - 4

     

     

     

   



  

    

Rare triple quasar found

www.midlandsastronomy.com





      



          



 

    

 

    



    One thing that is seen every year, in case you miss it, is the Sun, seen here by many properly-equipped telescopes.

         

      



       

 

  

  

  

 

    

 

    

www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 9

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine



 

                  

                             

                          

                                                                      



www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 8

             

                      

                            

      

            

                                    

 

          

 

Above: A computer simulation, based on real physics, of a black hole tearing apart a star.

   

Above: Astronomical artist David Hardy's phenomenal drawing of a star orbiting a collapsed companion. Not originally meant to represent the system described here, it nonetheless paints a good picture of it.                       

                    

www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 5

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine

Astronomers discover a new kind of supernova

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine

 

Asteroid 2012-DA14 will pass Earth closely on Feb. 15, 2013 (NASA)

                               

                             

Above: This artist's conception shows the suspected progenitor of a new kind of supernova called type Iax. Material from a hot, blue helium star at right is funnelling toward a carbon–oxygen white dwarf star at left, which is embedded in an accretion disk. In many cases the white dwarf survives the subsequent explosion.          

      

      

 



Hubble observes the hidden depths of M77                      

www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 6

                    

                                                                                                           Above: Scientists have now discovered that studying meteorites from the giant asteroid Vesta helps  them understand the event known as the l"unar cataclysm,"when a repositioning of the gas giant planets   destabilized a portion of the asteroid belt and triggered a solar-system-wide bombardment.



www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 7

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine

Astronomers discover a new kind of supernova

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine

 

Asteroid 2012-DA14 will pass Earth closely on Feb. 15, 2013 (NASA)

                               

                             

Above: This artist's conception shows the suspected progenitor of a new kind of supernova called type Iax. Material from a hot, blue helium star at right is funnelling toward a carbon–oxygen white dwarf star at left, which is embedded in an accretion disk. In many cases the white dwarf survives the subsequent explosion.          

      

      

 



Hubble observes the hidden depths of M77                      

www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 6

                    

                                                                                                           Above: Scientists have now discovered that studying meteorites from the giant asteroid Vesta helps  them understand the event known as the l"unar cataclysm,"when a repositioning of the gas giant planets   destabilized a portion of the asteroid belt and triggered a solar-system-wide bombardment.



www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 7

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine



 

                  

                             

                          

                                                                      



www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 8

             

                      

                            

      

            

                                    

 

          

 

Above: A computer simulation, based on real physics, of a black hole tearing apart a star.

   

Above: Astronomical artist David Hardy's phenomenal drawing of a star orbiting a collapsed companion. Not originally meant to represent the system described here, it nonetheless paints a good picture of it.                       

                    

www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 5

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine

   

     

                                                                                                                                  

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine      

Below: Overlay of the new GRG (blue -white colours) on an optical image from the Digitized Sky survey. The inset shows the central galaxy triplet.

The image is about 2 Mpc across.



   

Page - 4

     

     

     

   



  

    

Rare triple quasar found

www.midlandsastronomy.com





      



          



 

    

 

    



    One thing that is seen every year, in case you miss it, is the Sun, seen here by many properly-equipped telescopes.

         

      



       

 

  

  

  

 

    

 

    

www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 9

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine

 

  



         



                                                                                                                            

                            

www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 10

                                                                        

                                                                                                                

  

   

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine

                                                        

                                   

         

                                             

      

       

     

Above: This set of images compares rocks seen by NASA's Opportunity rover and Curiosity rover at two different parts of Mars. On the left is " Wopmay"rock in Endurance Crater, Meridiani Planum, as studied by the Opportunity rover. On the right are the rocks of the S" heepbed"unit in Yellowknife Bay in Gale Crater, as seen by Curiosity.                                   

Above: Curiosity's drill in action at Yellowknife Bay on the red planet.

 

www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 3

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine

  









www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 2











 

                                 

                        



























































































































































 

   



   



    



   



     



    



   



      



   



   



     



   



      



   

        



   

      





                  

 



       

                            

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine

www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 11

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine

                                          



Above: A sky chart showing the centre of the Lyrid meteor shower.

Look for the star Vega as a guide.

  Above: Cancer is one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin   for crab and it is commonly represented as such. Cancer is small and its stars are faint. It lies between Gemini to the west and Leo to the east, Lynx to the  north and Canis Minor and Hydra to the south.                  Above: The M51 galaxy and its  companion (NGC 5195) are easily  observed by amateur astronomers, Above: The Beehive Cluster is an  and the two galaxies may even be open cluster in the constellation  seen with binoculars.

Cancer and is one of the nearest  open clusters to the Solar System.                                                                         





www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 12

      

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine

Internet Highlights

       

   

 





 

     

 

       

        

www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 13

  















         •   •   •    •   

























 www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 14

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine

Midlands Astronomy Club Magazine

Internet Highlights

       

   

 





 

     

 

       

        

www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 13

  















         •   •   •    •   

























 www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 14